Russia calls on UN team to check other Syria sites

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s foreign ministry has asked the U.N. to continue with its inspection of places where chemical weapons might have been used in Syria.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-Moon said Thursday that the organization’s chemical weapons team will complete its inspection on Friday, and leave Syria on Saturday.

But Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement Thursday the U.N. team should inspect three other locations, including a suburb of Aleppo, where the government in Damascus alleges the rebels have used poisoned gas.

President Barack Obama said Wednesday the Syrian regime is behind the 21 Aug. attack in the suburbs of Damascus, when hundreds of people died. It’s not clear if the Western powers will wait for the U.N. experts’ findings before launching a possible punitive military strike.